Safe route to school: Freital starts checks for our little ones!

Safe route to school: Freital starts checks for our little ones!

For many students and their parents, the start of the new school year not only brings joy, but also the challenge of mastering the safe route to school. From today, August 11th, the public order office in Freital is on its way to intervene here. Together with citizen police, increased checks are being carried out on the routes to school Sächsische.de reported. The goal is to ensure the safety of students, especially new first graders.

These controls focus on primary schools in the Freital city area. The focus is on various aspects: safety when crossing streets, the use of footpaths and the behavior of cyclists and the so-called parent taxis. Speed ​​display boards were also set up at schools to encourage drivers to comply with speed limits.

Safe routes to school for children

The challenge of finding a safe route to school does not only affect Freital. Schools and parents everywhere in Germany are facing similar problems. Schools in North Rhine-Westphalia are also committed to ensuring that parents do not bring their children directly to school by car. Pick-up and drop-off zones are used here, which are approximately 300 to 400 meters away from the school. This compromise relieves traffic in front of schools and increases safety for pedestrians ZDF.de explained in detail.

Parents should also pay particular attention to dangerous passages. You should report this to the police or school contact officer. Children are often difficult to see in traffic, especially when they are behind parked vehicles. Josef Weiß, an expert in school traffic education, emphasizes the importance of practical exercises. Every traffic situation must be specifically practiced so that children can move safely in traffic.

A third of all accidents on the way to school affect children

According to the German Statutory Accident Insurance (DGUV), there are over 100,000 accidents on the way to educational institutions every year. What is alarming is the fact that around 50 percent of these accidents occur on the road, with 25,000 to 30,000 accidents involving bicycles being recorded in particular. This shows the urgency of taking the issue of road safety seriously. Therefore, promoting modern mobility education and raising awareness of mobility risks is of great importance, as the DGUV mentions on its website.

Another aspect is the so-called traffic helpers in the form of student guides. These are often recruited from volunteers and can provide valuable support for children on their way to school. In addition, the concept of the “walking bus” is becoming increasingly popular, in which groups of children go to school together and not only practice safety but also promote social contacts.

During the dark season it is also crucial that children wear bright and reflective clothing. This significantly increases your visibility on the road. Parents should also make sure that children's scooters are best left at home during the dark season, as they often have no light and can therefore endanger traffic regulations.

Safe routes to school are a task for society as a whole. Parents, schools and authorities must work hand in hand to ensure the safety of our little ones. It is up to us to give the children a safe start to everyday school life so that they can concentrate on what is important - learning and making friends.